


Valentina and Maisy and New Beginnings

by Raenel



Category: Harvest Moon: Magical Melody
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Gen, journal format
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2018-07-15 12:18:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7222060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raenel/pseuds/Raenel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Tina moves away from the City to start a new life, she doesn't know quite what to expect but decides to keep a journal of her adventures anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> So I recently picked up playing Harvest Moon: Magical Melody again and decided to do something a little bit different than I normally do. I decided to keep a journal, in character (sorta) of what I was doing. It has definitely slowed my play speed down a great deal (as writing an entry after every day understandably would) and that has made me think about it even more than I normally do. And now I think I am going to post it because my wife thinks it could make a couple people smile. If someone seems OOC I am sorry, they don't have a ton to work with and I haven't played it as much as I maybe should have. I also have the characters interacting outside of when the protagonist is talking to them. I might write out some scenes more intricately later but so far I've just been keeping a journal. Let me know what you think.

Day 1  
I met the mayor today! He greeted me and helped me finish filling out my paperwork, then helped me send it off. He walked me to my new home, and let me know the office hours he keeps in case I need anything. I forgot them more or less right away, but that should be fine. Surprisingly, the place was mostly furnished so no sleeping on the floor for me. I unpacked and decided to call it a night. The passed few weeks have been rough but hopefully things will smooth out a bit now that I am here. 

Day 2  
Writing it down so I don't forget, had the strangest dream last night. There were sprites? Or elves or something and a woman who was a goddess and turned to stone and that guy? Girl or whatever they are that I saw on my trip in to the Mayor's office yesterday and they were pissed that I could see the sprites I think? I don't really remember exactly. Anyway, I woke up at like six AM because someone was knocking on my door. And now I have a dog. A girl, Ellen, brought her over because she knew I was new and she thought I might be lonely. I hadn't gotten there yet, but I think Maisy will help keep me company. Ellen smiled and wished me luck and said that she lived next door at the Blue Sky Ranch and that I should swing by later and that she had to get back or the chickens would get upset. She's really cute and I hope I didn't seem weird or anything. Anyway, I spent like six hours clearing a couple dead trees out and getting some ground ready to plant a garden. Bleh so tired!

Day 3  
Bob woke me up today at like six AM by pounding on my door. He means well but waay too early for me. He's in charge of shipping local produce and some other stuff as well to the City. He seems like a giant to me. I'm like maybe chest high on him? Like he's probably like seven feet tall and probably almost that broad across the chest. Like I have never seen someone so big. Anyway I went to the hardware store today. The owner is kinda old fashioned, his daughter is not. Shes a mechanic, self taught and probably going to burn down the building if the not the whole town but again super cute. Her name is Ann. Everyone here is super cute. After that, I went to the seed shop? Plant shop? To get some seeds. I honestly didn't know what to get so I ended up going with a couple of grab bags. Anyway Nina helped me out, gave me a book with stuff like soil pH and watering tips... that junk. Her mom, Liz, she owns the place and wow. Like if I were ten years older... anyway I am waay off track here. I got some seeds planted. Crashing for the night. Tomorrow should be pretty good too. I really hope that I end up fitting in here. 

Day 4  
Took it pretty easy today. Watered my garden, weeded it because damn things grow fast out here (away from the City) and went back to the hardware store to pick up a new bag. Ann was there straightening up shelves and we talked for a bit. She plans on going to University, if she can get enough saved up . Anyway, after that I grabbed my old botany notes and headed up into the hills. This area is well known for its many medicinal herbs and so I figured I would try my hand and pick some, gotta make some money right? The forest is lovely and the rumors did not disappoint. By the time I made it back, it was really late though. Maybe I'll try sleeping in tomorrow. 

Day 5  
No go on sleeping in. Doesn't anyone around here sleep passed like five AM? Anyway, a young man named Carl stopped by. Again, another cutie, he's a waiter/chef right now. He really wants to open his own café someday. He told me about how this little town has all sorts of old festivals that they don't really get to celebrate anymore because lack of funding/interest in them. Its really kinda sad. Like all you read about with the little towns outside the City are the festivals and the traditions and its just sad that they've fallen by the wayside. I'll see what I can do to help maybe. Went back to bed, Maisy kept me company. She is so spoiled. But I do have her house broken already so she's smart which means I'm only a little worried about what that will mean once she's big enough to really get into trouble.

Day 6  
Starting to get a routine down. Watered my plants, weeded the garden, still amazed at how fast everything grows out here. Then I went hiking after tying up Maisy outside so she could stretch while I was out. She sounded so sad but gave up as soon as I was around the corner of the house. I thought I was going to come home to some sort of disaster, but no, she just found a stick to chew on and her bowl and a shoe? And honestly I'm not sure what else. She's a troublemaker. Anyway, I swung by Blue Sky to see Ellen again, hope I didn't come off as too weird. She's REALLY cute. Especially whens she's smiling and talking about animals and anyway back to the day. When I got home, I watered my plants again, and guess what! Strawberries! I'm so excited! Maybe I'll give Ellen some. I should find out if she likes them first. Well, I am beat so that is all for tonight journal.

Day 7  
Watered my plants like usual then stopped by Blue Sky to see about buying some eggs to donate to the festival. Ellen smiled and said that they were planning on just doing a little get together in the town square but with my help they would be able to get a bit more going! I probably went overboard, I'm not exactly rich but eh... whatever. It made me happy to see her tell Hank, her father, that another four dozen eggs had been donated. He looks like a cartoon, like one of the old guys from one with no teeth and a red face, but I couldn't help but smile when he waved and introduced himself (again), saying he was real bad with faces lately, but that he was glad that I'd stopped in to help. Anyway, Ellen started talking about everything she was going to bake and how we should meet up at about noon so that is what I am doing tomorrow. Anyway, to keep her out of trouble, I brought Maisy on my hike with me today. Was planning on getting all the way to the shrine on the top of the mountain? Bluff? Hill? Whatever an 850m hill should be called. Its a hell of a walk. Maisy got sick of walking with me like a third of the way up (if that) so I carried her up a bit further, grabbed a few more of the plants that Bob had told me were in high demand and then I headed back down. Anyway, getting to bed a bit early tonight, my arms and back are killing me.


	2. An Embarrassing Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a great first week Tina decidedly makes a fool of herself, but Ellen doesn't seem to mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slower going than I'd like, but here's the second set!

Day 8

Today was the Egg Festival! Did my chores then headed straight over to the Town Square to see if there was anything I could help with. Ellen was already there, laughing as she talked with Ann about something. I made a bit of a fool of myself; at some point I guess I pushed my bangs out of the way and got dirt on my face. Ellen and Ann both laughed. I am soo cool right now. The only positive that came out of it was Ellen using her apron to brush it off of me. I don't think I have EVER blushed so hard. I hope they think I was just embarrassed. Ann wandered off to try some of the dishes other people had prepared and to talk to Blue about horse racing or something like that so for like almost two hours, it was mostly just Ellen and me and I hope I'm not boring or clingy or too obvious because I think I'm too obvious. BUT she was happy to have someone keep her company all afternoon at her stand. Also holy hell can she bake. Like cakes and cookies and flan and some sorta custard pie and pretty much everything. She's so good. Only real downer today was Jamie, still no idea on boy/girl for them and there is nooo way I'm going to be rude and ask them, but they're apparently just kinda a downer most of the time. They said something that kinda put me on edge as they were leaving: “Stop trying, I'll be the one to save her.” I wanted to find out more, to say something to find out what they meant, but Ellen called me over to help her carry her things home so I didn't.

Day 9

So I couldn't sleep well, stomach full of butterflies because of Ellen and tied in knots because of Jamie. Weeded the garden, CLEANED MY DUMB FACE and stopped by to see Ellen before taking a hike up to the top of the 'mountain' to visit the shrine there. Apparently no one really goes up there anymore, but I figured it would be cool to look down on the village from so high up. Anyway, Maisy came with me again, and this time she didn't wuss out on me and walked the whole way up so that was nice. But that's not really the point: I am losing my mind. Maybe. Its a very eerie place. Birds were silent, same with bugs and even Maisy got quite once we got up top. Anyway, at the shrine there's a statue of a very sad, incredibly beautiful woman. She's so intricately carved that she looks like she's alive. She was covered in vines and when I looked at her face, it was her! The one from my dream! I froze up for like a solid two minutes at least but then Maisy started barking and I snapped out of it. And then I saw the sprites or elves or whatever they are. Looking at me, smiling. It really didn't help. One of them stepped forward and spoke. He said something about fostering good will and joy and how soon, if I kept it up, the Harvest Goddess would come back to us, how she would smile again. Then they thanked me for moving the vines because she loved how the rain and wind and sun felt on her skin. And them I sorta lost it and grabbed Maisy and booked it down the mountain and now I feel crazy and I could have sworn I heard music up there as I was leaving and ghosts or gods and sprites are not what I sighed up for when I moved out here and good night. 

Day 10

Mostly stayed home today. Cleared out the last tree on my little plot, picked my strawberries and the other vegetables that were ripe. And my breadfruit, which matters because I need to grow more BECAUSE Ellen was really super excited that I was growing them. I'd never heard of them before, still have no idea what they really are, but they're used for baking apparently. So I went out and bought more seeds once she left and maybe stayed up a little bit a lot too late planting them. Anyway, night journal.

Day 11

Well nothing special really happened today. Ellen was busy most of today, didn't really get to talk to her at all. Maisy is getting too smart for her own good. Today, she dug her way out of my yard but luckily, she was just following Blue. He brought her back after he finished unloading a few things at the farm. She was playing around with the sheep apparently. He smiled for the first time I've seen, told me Ellen would be free tomorrow afternoon if I wanted to stop by. So now I have plans!

Day 12

Well I made an idiot of myself today. Like reaaaally bad. So you know when you think something and then someone near you responds just like they heard it because you said it out loud and not in your head? Yeah I did that today. So ANYWAY I did my chores and and cleaned up Maisy, who had managed to get just about as dirty as she could in the two minutes I wasn't watching her, and then I walked over to Blue Sky with her. First dumb thing I did wasn't so bad, I just said “wow” when Ellen stepped out to meet me. Well no, first thing I did was not changing. So I was wearing my stupid overalls and hat and a very dingy looking white shirt, and she was wearing a very cute blue dress and a white sweater and had made up a lunch for us. She just smiled at me when I said that I should go change since we were going to be having lunch together and laughed and told me “Getting a farm up and running on your own is really hard work, don't worry about it.” So here's where I fuck up. Sorta? Because she just blushed and smiled and laughed. So maybe I'm fine? I don't know. So we're eating, she made sandwiches and little strawberry pastries and we ate the sandwiches first, and that was fine. They were like a hazelnut spread and some sort of berry jam. Waay better than PB&J but still really simple and nice. But anyway, we were eating the little pastries and she got strawberry on her nose. And I thought I thought it but apparently I said “Damn you are so fucking cute”. SO I am just going to crawl into a hole and die but I can't because she was planning on stopping by to help me pick breadfruit tomorrow. So I can't but I need to sleep now bye.

Day 13

Well normal morning routine: weed the garden, water plants, try and keep Maisy out of the wet dirt and fail, wash Maisy (I think she just like the attention she gets), and then make an idiot of myself given any opportunity. So Ellen came by and today I didn't do anything really bad, just talked about living in the City and how different it was and how I like it out here and implied that she was the reason I liked it out here because I am bad at words. “I really like... the people out here.” I didn't mean to pause, I was just trying to keep an eye on my stupid dog because she was getting dangerously close to where she digs under the fence and then I put my foot in my mouth. BUT Ellen smiled and said she loves it out here in the country and that she was glad I was the one who moved into town so that's a plus. Anyway, I gave more or less all of the breadfruit that was ripe to her. It was less than we thought it would be, but she doesn't really have time to stop by tomorrow. I was bummed but then she'd said she'd be by on Sunday if that was alright and now I can't wait!

Day 14

Skipped the last part of my routine. Blue stopped by to say “Hi” to Maisy and to give her an old soup bone to chew on. He's kinda cold at first but I think he's a pretty nice guy, really good with animals. Said he was glad that Maisy found a good home and wished me luck. Changed out of my overalls and crummy work shirt and into a pair of shorts and t-shirt before walking up the mountain again. Had another weird dream last night and I'm not sure why, but I thought maybe I needed to visit the shrine again. Left Maisy at home with her treat and by the time I got up there, I was having doubts. But when I saw the fresh offerings in front of the Goddess, I knew I had been right to come up. The sprites were there, smiling and happy as ever and there WAS music coming from somewhere? The sprites said Jamie had been up the night before, and that they were really mad that the Goddess hadn't gotten any better. But the sprites were really glad I stopped by. They smiled and said that people like me were the reason the Goddess liked people so much, and was so saddened by how so many of us had given up on each other. They told me it was going to rain tomorrow and that I should take advantage of the weather to spend some time with the people I care about most. I guess I blushed because one of them in a green outfit laughed and said that's not what we meant, but that I should do that too. She was laughing as the others blushed and tried to shut her up. They're an odd bunch, but I think they're really real, not just a figment of my imagination. One gave me some seeds for summer, pink cat flowers and told me I'd have to wait, but that the Goddess loved it when humans grew flowers for each other, and he also said that humans seem to like it when they give each other flowers too. He's not so subtle I don't think. Anyway, I stayed longer than I should have and talked a bit about the area with them and learned a lot of local history. Suppose I should hit the library soon to see if its all garbage or if its accurate to any extent. I headed home when it started to cool off, and was freezing my buns off by the time I got home. Maisy was still inside the fence which was surprising and brought her bone with to greet me but didn't want to get too close; she was growling playfully and running around my legs as we went inside. Today was a weird day.


	3. When it rains...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very rainy and very good week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still haven't quite given up on this, not by a long shot. sorry i update once every.... aeon or so.... orz

Day 15 

The sprites were right. It did rain today, but not until like three in the afternoon. I weeded the garden, skipped out on watering and hoped it wouldn't come back to bite me in the ass later, picked my plants, put all the strawberries and cabbage into my shipping container and headed over to meet Ellen with the rest of the breadfruit. I was a little early so she was in the barn helping Blue and Bob stack bales of hay. Or straw. I don't know which. There is a difference but I don't know it yet. ANYWAY. She is stacked. Like wow. I'm in pretty good shape, but I had a hard time tossing the bales up to Blue but she didn't have trouble at all. After about twenty minutes, Blue swapped places with her and me so that we had two up and two down to make it go quicker. Again Bob is a giant.

Long story short, we unloaded a lot of hay (straw?). And then Blue must have knocked over the ladder before he bailed on us, saying that it had started raining and that he needed to round up the animals right away so we ended up spending the afternoon up in the hayloft talking. And sitting really close. We talked about dumb things likes our favorite books and movies and food, and not quite as dumb things like farming stuff that I should know but don't. She laughed a lot when I was telling her about my family. I guess most people out here don't have many relatives living with them like people in the City do. It's just her, her dad and Blue in their house. Back home, my family has my grandmother, two of my aunts, my mom, my brother, six cousins, and me. She said it sounded like fun to have so many people running around. And I went and said maybe she could come back to visit them with me this fall for my grandmother's birthday. And then she smiled and said she would like that and put her hand on my hand and I think I just about died and I fell off the hay bale we were sitting on. We laughed about it and then I sat down next to her again and she scooted really close and I almost fell off again because I am sooo smooth.

I was telling her more stories from home when I was younger and then Blue came back to the barn looking for us because it was getting late and he hadn't seen us for like three hours. To be honest, I think he might have set this up on purpose. I think Blue is more clever than he lets on. Ellen just blushed a lot when he joked about how we were stuck up there all afternoon with nothing to do and he laughed at that too before asking her if she had planned anything out for dinner. She invited me to eat with them so I took her up on her offer. I tried to help cook, but think I mostly just got in her way. I was able to get things chopped up really quick for her so that saved her a bit of time I hope. But anyway we had a stew and it was delicious. It was beef and barley with carrots, celery and just about every other vegetable she could find, bread that she had baked in the morning and some tarts she had made the night before. She's amazing.

 

Day 16 

This morning I met Ronald! Again, why are people here up so damn early? Anyway he is actually going to be getting an orchard started a bit north of me, pretty much at the foot of the mountain. He's very excited that more people are moving into the area and that he wishes more people would give the country life a try. He also gave me some pointers on planting trees because I had mentioned that I was planning on planting an apple tree out back behind my house. He took off pretty quickly and I was able to get my chores started. Ellen stopped by to ask me if I was going to be at the Horse Race tomorrow. I didn't know there were horse races tomorrow so I hadn't really made any plans about it. She asked me if I'd like to go with her and cheer on the Cliffjumper. I said, 'Well that's an ominous name for a horse isn't it?' and apparently I am a laugh riot. Or I think I am. But either way, Ellen laughed and smiled and today was good.

 

Day 17 

Horses! Never really been up close and personal with one, well before moving out here. Cliff Jumper is his official name, but everyone calls him Clifford or Cliff. Apparently horses have like a name that is used for races and breeding and stuff and then also a name that is just like what people call them. ANYWAY he is a sweetheart. I think he is at least, but Blue says he doesn't normally warm up to people. Also Blue says horses are an excellent judge of character. Also when he smiles it's really obvious that he is related to Ellen, their faces crinkle up the same way. 

But anyway Ann was there too, and she loves horses. Watching how they move, how their muscles work, she just really really likes horses. Or maybe just anything that is complex and how they work?  MORE IMPORTANTLY Ellen was there too. She is like way too good looking. Like she didn't wear anything really special, just like a plaid skirt and blouse and sweater and fuck I almost died. Her skirt was cornflower blue and forest green and like just barely knee length. And oh gawd her legs; carved from mighty oak. Sculpted even. I may have been starring a bit more than I should have. OH but on the idea of starring today, I met *Gwen* and like wow. She looks a bit like me but like not all weird and muscly and stuff. But anyway, I think the only person that was starring more than me was Ellen. Or maybe Blue. They're even less subtle than I am somehow.

Maisy also made a friend today, a giant St. Bernard named Jon. I met his owner Doug. He was looking to move back to the town from the city. Oh! I also met Duke, I think he is a business person of some sort. Sounds like he is going to going in on something with Doug. OH and another also: Dan. He's kinda a mooch from the sounds of it and he gambles poorly. Also puberty was very VERY kind to him in every way but one, his VOICE! He sounds like a twelve year old. Maybe someday it'll drop, but not likely.

Anyway Ellen sat with me and wow did she sit close. Blue sat on the other side of her and she more or less ended up on my lap because Bob was on the other side of me and didn't really move over. I don't remember too much about the races because I was mostly just trying not to be a creep. I think I still was a little because like I couldn't not think about her. She smells like fresh strawberries, like or maybe something else naturey and sweet, but I think strawberries. And she was super cute as she was shouting at the horses and I think Blue said something to her because she blushed and took her arm out from around me to punch him. BUT ANYWAY! I had dinner with them again tonight and it was potato salad and ham and fresh bread and just simple and really really good. And she walked me home and I wrote all of this and I'm still giddy and happy and goodnight.

 

Day 18 

Rain today, which worked out fine for me because I have a lot of weeding and picking to do. Fuck strawberries. Not really though. I just think that I am getting so close to giving up and letting the rabbits and whatever else wants them eat them. Helped Ellen with the animals again today. She's amazing. We just sat in the barn after we'd brushed and fed them and talked, mostly about family. Mostly I talked about family. She's never had a big family, just her Blue and her father. And Bob he is like honorary family. Her mother passed away when she was very young and she doesn't remember much about her. I think I was kinda awkward about it? IDK I just kept saying that I was sorry for bringing it up. She just smiled and asked for more stories about me growing up. I told her more stories about the trouble my cousins and I got into. Like the time we made a garden on our roof and climbing and falling out of trees in the park. I guess I talked a lot about my grandmother and now she is even more excited to meet her and exchange recipes. Today was good.

 

Day 19 

Ellen made me breakfast! Like she woke me up at the crack of dawn and I answered the door in like just a t-shirt and like no pants or shorts or anything, but she made me breakfast. How do I keep making such an idiot of myself? Like checked that off right away. Anyway she stayed over and ate breakfast with me and I am so far gone. Blue and Bob were handling the animals today so she came over to surprise me! We finished eating and then went outside with Maisy and worked on my garden and I cut myself pretty bad on like idk what even like being stupid or something, but Ellen seemed a bit worried and she came with me to the clinic. I met Alex, who, like everyone in this damn town, is like hot as hell. Well he's more cute? Either way, I met him and got a tetanus shot. Also met Martha, she's his assistant and the town’s midwife I guess. She reminds me of one of my aunts. Like doting and caring and also a busybody. She collects coral and seashells which I guess is easy enough now that she lives by the sea and not in the middle of the city. Told her I would keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary if I was down on the beach. Ellen helped me finish up my chores outside and stuck around and helped throw together a quick dinner for me since I was such a klutz this morning. Like idk I am just so bad at this life thing. Anyway goodnight.

 

Day 20 

Ellen came by early again, not as early, and I was not quite so underdressed. It was good. We laughed about yesterday, I blushed and she flirted? Like I think she made a joke about seeing more of my legs yesterday but I was full of butterflies and god I am such a train wreck. But more rain today, like it started yesterday afternoon and it's just been going. Weeding was easy with how soft the ground was and Maisy stayed inside today which was nice. My roof has a leak which is not nice, but its really a super minor one but I figured I should get it checked out all the same. Ellen was actually the one who noticed it and pointed me in Woody's direction before heading back to her farm. So today I met the town’s carpenter/handyman/real estate licensor and his two apprentices. Woody is old, like hella old, but he is the one in charge of building new building and overseeing repairs that Joe, the golden retriever in a trenchcoat, and Kurt, the brooding brusk kind-of-a-dick, apprentices do. They're going to be by sometime tomorrow to fix my roof. He's pretty sure it's just a minor thing that needs to get taken care of. So hopefully not too expensive or time consuming.

 

Day 21 

Still raining, so weeding and watering was easy enough. Kurt, not so bad. He’s just like shy and not too into the social part of working in a community. Also he showed up and patched up my roof at like six am on his day off so like, that's a decent human thing to do. Maisy likes him. But anyway he patched the seam that was leaking and was on his way by like eight? I did my chores, my hand is already healed up which kinda threw me, normally a cut that you need stitches for takes like a month to heal over as much as this one has in like two days. Anyway, after that I went for a walk with Maisy since the rain was starting to let up. Ran into Joe, he was fishing, not well, but fishing nonetheless. Basil, have I mentioned Basil? He has a green hat and his smile is amazing and this town has got to be cursed. I am in a ghost town and it is too late for me to leave. Shit. Well I helped Ellen finish up her chores and hung out with her and Maisy. Can't wait to meet up with her at the Flower Festival tomorrow. Also! Joe confirmed for golden retriever in a trench coat; he caught like no fish but did carry home a bunch of sticks, I think he said he was going to see if any of them could be used to make a new cane for Woody.


End file.
